Motor-vehicle.



G. B. RIDLEY.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED oEc.14. 1915.

1 ,239,2 1 9 Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. 1N VEN TOR. WITNESSES 6. B. Ff/DLEY Kai/VM WM *QW A@ ATTORNEYS.

' 6.3. RmLEY.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 056.14. |915.

1,239,219. I Patentedsept. 4,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` INVENTQR. WITNESSES.- G, B, R/DLEY v A TTORNE Ys.

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Moron-vitamin Specication ofl Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4*, 1917.

- Application med December 14, 1915. Serial No. $8,750.

To allwhom zt may concern.'

Be itlmown that I, Gramm: B. Rnmnirf Va subject of Great Britain, and a resident o companying and forming of forms, eac

the city and county of` San Francisco, State 0f California, have invented a certainnew and useful Motor-Vehicle, of which the following is a specica-tion.

The inventlon relates to motor vehicles and particularly to that type of vehicle known as a motor chair.

An object of the invention is to provide means for stopping vthe movement of the vehicle when it comes in contact with an extraneous object. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system of control of the vehicle. j l

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of spring suspension for the vehicle body..

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description, where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings acart of the present specification. v In such drawings, I have shown only one specii'ic form of my eneric invention, but it is to be understood t at the invention ma `be embodied in a multiplicity tion.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the motor vehicle of my invention.

Fig. 2 is aplan or top view of the chassis of the vehicle of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section of a portion of. the control mechanism of the vehicle.

Fig. 4 is a detail in plan showing a portion of the control mechanism, part thereof being shown in section.

Fi 5 is a diagrammatic representation of one ormof velectric circuit for the vehicle.

The vehicle of my invention comprises an electrically driven chair which is driven by current derived from' a storage battery carried on the vehicle and intended primarily forv slow speed travel. The body 2 of the vehicle is preferably made inthe form Aof a chair and maybe constructed of any desirable material, such as wood, steel or wicker. The frame or'chassis of the vehicle comprises the side rails 3 which are suitably connected being a species of my inventogether by. cross rails to give the frame the desired rigidity. The, vehicle is provided adjacent lits forward end with a guiding wheel 4, which is mounted in the fork 5, the

shank of which-is journaled in the frame 6, j which is rigidly secured Ato the side rails 3. The prongs of the fork incline backwardly, so that the axis of the wheel lies behind the axis of the shank,thereby tending to hold 65 the wheel in the straight ahead position. Secured to the shank 7 is a sprocket 8 which is engaged by a chain 9 which also engages a sprocket 12 on the steering column 13 which is arranged adjacent to the dash 14. to the upper end of the steering column, so that it has movement in a vertical arc independent of thesteerin column, is a steering handle 15, the free end of which is disposed adjacent the drivers seat 16. The sprocket 8 is preferably larger in diameter than, sprocket 12 so that the movement of ther handle through a 'ven angle produces a movement of the foi throu h a lesser angle, thereby preventing the being moved into too'l, s arp an angle with the longitudinal. axis f the vehicle.

The body 2 is supported upon the bent frame preferably formed of'channel irons 17 which are hinged at their rear ends to the 86 bottom of the rear cross rail 18, so that the body may be readily tilted back to give accessto the storage battery 19 and driving motor 21' which are arranged therebeneath.

A latch 10 secures the forward end of the 90 hinged body to the frame, so that the bod may not be accidentally tilted backwar The storage battery is carried on a cross -frame or board which is secured to the side rails of the frame. Pivotally attached to the side rails 3 at their rear ends are bars 22, to whichl is secured the axle 23 of the -rear wheels 24; and 25. The bars 22 are held adjacent the side rails by a plurality of springs 26 and 27 whose com ression varies with the 100 load in the vehicle, t e springs being interposed between the runnlng gear and the vehicle frame. Pivoted to the side rails 3 and extending throughapertures in the bars 22 are bolts 28 and 29, between the headsof 105 which and the bars are arranged the s rings 26 and 27, which are compressed ast e vehicle frame moves downward. The bolt 29 is lon'fger than the bolt 28, and the springs are o load only-the springV 26 is compressed and for a heavier load, both springs are comlivoted 70 i ing wheel from 80 the same length, so that fora light pressed. By this construction the spring resistance varies in pro ortio'n' to the load, producing an easier ri vehicle than if only one sti springwere emplc ed. The

motor 21 is mounted on a cross ra' 31 which.

is secured to the bars 22 'so that the osition of the motor with respect to the e 23 is l not varied. The motor is connected tothe drive wheel 24 through suitable gearingV and the chain 32. -The motor is preferably of the compound wound constant speed type, so

that the speed of the vehicle when operatingI 36 which is attached to the Aarm 37 of the rheostat or controller v38, backward movement ofthe pedal serving to gradually cut out the resistance of the rheostat, so as to allow the motor suicient time to gain Means are provided for locking t e al in the forward position so that the driver may leave the vehicle or be relieved from the fatigue of holding the pedal depressed when the vehicle is stationary. The foot plate 30 is pivoted to the pedal lever 33. and connected to the foot plate is a latch 61-which is arranged to engage the curved rack bar 62 secured to the iioor board 34. A forward rocking movement of the foot plate -opere ates to release the latch to permit the pedal to be moved and a backward rocking movementv of the foot plate causes the latch to engage the rack.

' raking means are also operated by the pedal, the movement of the pedal forward to a given position serving to operate the rheostat arm and a further forward movement of the edal serving to short-circuit the armature. Aurther forward movement of the pedal causes a mechanically operated brake to be applied. Secured to' the shaft 36 is a lever 39, to the `free end `of which is pivotally attached a rod 41 which slides in a block 42 attached to the free end of lever 43, which lever-is secured to the shaft 44. Secured to the rod 4L is a collar or abut-l ment 45 which, on the forward movement of the pedal, engages the block 42 and producesa rotation of the shaft 44. Secured -grins erefore, to the proper position causes a to the shaft 44 is a lever l46 whichlis pivoted f at'its free end to the frame47vvhich is normally held in its forward position bythe 48. Forward moyement of thepedal,

backward movement of the frame 47,.A Pivoted to the frame 47 is a-rod 49 which carries on its forward end a brush or conductor 51,

'plressei the bac which normally closes the' circuit between two insulated terminals 52-53 in the motor circuit. Backward movement of the frame 47, therefore, first operates the circuit breaker to open the motor circuit. Arraned ad'acent the terminals 52 -58 and ins atedv rom each other are resilient contacts 54-55, which are connected to the motor in such manner that the c1 of the, circuit through these terminals w cause the motor to operate as a brake, in the present instance byshOrt-circuiting the am ture. Further backward movement of the` frame 47 brin the brush 51 into contact with the resilient terminals 54-'55 and closes the circuit therethrough. In the present construction, the contact- 52 is connected t0 one side of the armature 64 and the contact 53 to the series field windingY 68, so that when the brush 51 opens the circuit at these contacts' the armaturei and series field are o pen circuited. The contact 54 is connected to the contact 52, and contact 55 is connected to the opposite side of the armature so that when the circuit is closed at contacts {S4-55, the armature is short-circuited. The shunt field 63is constantly excited except when the plug orl switch 40 in the battery circuit is operated to open the circuit.

T e electric brake is the service brake and the mechanically operated brake is desig nated as the emergency brake, since it is intendedto beused only for quick stopping. Securedl to shaft 44 is a lever 56 which 1s connected by the link 57 with the arm of an expanding or contracting band brake arranged in the drum 58 on wheel 25. This brake mechanism is so arranged that the band does not engage the drum unless the pedal is moved forward beyond the lsition at which the electric brake is thrown into operation.

ionv

Means are also providedfor the.

and is mounted ad'acent its forward end onv links 59 so that it 1s capable of being moved backward Aa ainst the force of the sp 48. When t e vehicle comes in contactwi an extraneous obect, the frame 47 is deard movement of ame causing the operation of the circuit breaker to open the motor circuit and to close the electric braking circuit.- A furu.

ther. backward movement of the frame will cause a further rotation of the shaft 44 and et in the application of the emergency pedal is depressed to apply the brake and etched 1n such position, and when the vehi- 61e. is to be left stand1ng for lan considerable length of time the switch is opened when'if ie desired te leeve the veniele, the in to completely open the battery crrcmf.

Upon 'rentering the vehicle, the switch is closed and then the pedal unlatched and allowed to move backward to cause the incircuit, a circuit breaker in the motor circuit, ,a lever, means operative by the rst portion of the lever movement for progressively increasing the resistance of said circuit, and means mediately connected to said lever and operative by a. Succeeding portion of the lever movement for opening said circuit lbreaker and short-circuiting said motor circuit.

3. In a motor vehicle, a motor, a motor circuit, a circuit breaker in the motor circuit, aL lever, means operative by 'the first portion of the lever movement for progressively increasing the resistance of said circuit, means operative by a` succeeding portion of the lever movement for opening said circuit breaker and short-circuiting said motor circuit, and means .operative by a na] movement of the lever for mechanically braking said vehicle.

4. In amotor vehicle having a friction brake, a motor, amotor circuit, a circuit .breaker in the motor circuit, a lever, means operative by a portion of the lever movement for progressively increasing the resistance of said circuit, means operative by a succeeding movement of the lever for opening said circuit breaker, means operative by a final movement of the lever for setn ting said friction brake, and means independent of the lever for opening said circuit breaker.

5. In a motor vehicle, a motor, a motor circuit, a controller for said motor, a circuit breaker in the motor circuit, a friction brake and a lever arranged to operate the controller through a .portion of its movement, to operate the circuit breaker through its further movement and to operate the friction brake through its final movement.

6. In a motor vehicle provided with a friction brake, a motor, a controller and a circuit breaker, and unitary mechanism for.

successively operating the controller, opening the circuit breaker and operating `the friction brake.4 y

7. In a motor vehicle, a motor, a controller therefor, a lever for operating the controller, a circuit connected to] `opposite sides of the motori armature', a conductor for closing said circuit, a rockshaft connected to said conductor adapted by itslmovement to close the armature short circuit, a lever on said rock shaft and asliding connection between said levers. A

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Franclsco, California, this 2nd day of December 1915.y

In presence of H. G. P Ros'r. 

